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Sunday, 18 May 2014

PRESERVES, MINTS AND SOILS AINT SOILS

THE GOOD EARTH

with Permaculture North's Margaret MossakowskaDo you or someone in your family
preserve fruit using the bottling method?Somewhere in the garage or shed
there’s a row of preserved plums, peaches and nectarines? Preserving is creating an environment to prevent bacteria growing, so usually preserving is with vinegar, or sugar and water.

But bottling isn’t
the only method of preserving fruit. So what else is there? For a start there's sauces, jams and relishes.Ever heard of Plum Povidil?Listen to this…..Something for you to think about-Preserving
doesn’t improve the taste of fruit. So it’s best to preserve only sun ripened
fruit with flavour. Preserving green tasteless fruit is a waste of your time.To preserve things whole you can use salt, eg salting lemons.Did you know that you can use the flesh from preserved lemons to scrub your sinks? Sure it's sticky, but then you wipe it off with a damp cloth. But the lemon juice cuts through grease and the salt acts like an abrasive.Fruits that are higher in acid are
better for preserving as they are far less likely to harbour clostridium
botulinum, which is the bacteria that produces the botulinum toxin.Low acid fruit and most vegetables
are at risk of contamination by this bacteria and therefore require different
preserving systems than for high acid fruit. Plums have lots of pectin which sets the jam.A litmus test should be able to
confirm the acidity if you’re at all concerned;If you have any questions about the scale,
or even have a photo a problem on your
plant, why not drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville
NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE AND OTHER HEROES:

The mints belong to the genus Mentha
in the family Lamiaceae which includes other plants with oil in
their leaves such as basil, sage, rosemary, marjoram, lavender, pennyroyal and
thyme.

Sometimes the history of the herb or
vegetable of that I'm talking about is simply fascinating.

Mint is no exception.

Here’s a fabulous legend or myth
from Roman times.

There was a nymph called, Minthe who
was

Pluto's lover. When his wife
Persephone found out, in a fit of rage she turned Minthe into a lowly plant, to
be trod upon.

Pluto couldn’t undo the spell, but
softened the spell by giving her a sweet scent which would perfume the air when
her leaves were stepped upon.

In the 1700s mint was considered to
be an important medicinal herb, appearing in remedies for everything from
digestive disorders to headaches. Mint also began to make more appearances in
foods and drinks.

Did you know that peppermint is
usually the mint that’s used commercially in liqueurs, toothpastes, soaps and
mouthwashes?

All mints are fairly low-growing
plants, readily sending out runners, or stolons, which develop new roots and
shoots at the nodes. Under good growing conditions, stems can reach up to a1 m
in height.

The mints will grow in a wide range
of climates and are pretty popular in home gardens all over Australia. \Growing Mint from SeedIf you’re growing mint from seed,
the best times vary all around Australia.

In temperate and sub-tropical zones-August
to November, in Tropical Zones, it’s April to July,in arid areas-June and July is best, and cool
temperate, Septemberto December.

But who grows mint from seed these
days?

It’s really quicker and easier if
you just get a piece of the stolon and plonk into the ground.

If you leave in a frosty area, put
your mint cutting into a pot under cover until all frost has finished for this
year.Growing Mints-What do they like?In general mint likes a cool moist
root run, yet plenty of filtered light, and they also likes a fairly constant
environment.

We’re looking for a humus rich moist
deep soil, but well drained, filtered light but not deep shade. A light soil,
not a clay type.

Growing in a pot is fine as long as
it’s a largish one, because mints like to have a little room, it’s a bit of a roaming
plant so give it space.

Keep up the moisture-mint doesn’t
like to dry out, so use a specialist terracotta and tub mix with some added
water retention crystals.

Growing mint in warmer climates can
cause problems,

Mint does require constant moisture,
so in Queensland try growing mint in morning sun and shade from midday on.

Eau de Cologne Mint

A high water requirement means that
soils must be deep and well drained while holding plenty of water.

Remember
that in cooler areas mint will die back in winter, but will bounce back in
spring. Generally not to many pests to worry about.

Planting

Mint can be propagated either
cuttings or by seed.

You can grown new plants by digging
up plants in late winter-early spring and dividing them into runners with
roots, then replanting. This will prevent the plants from becoming root-bound
and prone to disease, giving you strong, healthy plants for the new season.

Most of the time we are busy trying
to just keep it tidy. It can take over your garden if your not care so, be like
me, and grow it in a pot that you can sink in the garden bed.

Companion Planting

Planting mint near peas, cabbage or
tomatoes will improve their health and flavour. Mint will attract hoverflies
and predatory wasps to your garden. Mint is also a favourite of earthworms.

The most common mint grown in home
gardens is actually Spearmint (M. spicata). Leaves are smooth, bright green and
elongated with a pointed end. Flowers are a pink to lilac colour and grow in
clusters on the ends of the stems.
﻿﻿﻿

Very flavoursome with a strong apple
taste and perfume. The leaves are light green, soft and downy, with a rounded
shape.

Lemon Mint is good in drinks and
used as a potpourri -mild mint and citrus aroma..

Eau-de-cologne
(M. × piperita var. citrata). This mint has a very strong, sharp perfume. It
has smooth green, oval-shaped leaves that are tinged with purple.

Moroccan Mint is used to make
traditional mint teas -infuses better.

The main pests are slugs, snails
aphids, loopers and leaf rollers. So watch out. Either had pick them off or go
organic and pick up used coffee grounds from your local coffee shop, and spread
it around your mint plants if you have this problem.

Why are mints good for us?

The menthol in peppermint soothes
the lining of the digestive tract and a hot cup of herbal tea is an excellent
way to settle your stomach after a big meal.

Did you know that if you want to
increase the effectiveness of peppermint tea as a breath freshener, you can add
a pinch of anise, caraway or cinnamon.

Mint is also a good remedy for
gingivitis.

Peppermint is reputed to have the
calming, sedative effect.

Mint contains Vitamin C and Vitamin
A.
﻿

Mints in Cooking

Apple Mint

Chop up some leaves in a salad or
use as a garnish on soups and stews.

Spice up your tuna: Chop spearmint
and mix with olive oil and use as a marinade for fresh tuna. Marinate 30
minutes, grill.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

with landscape designer Jason Cornish

Soils are the least glamorous of
topics in gardening.

We’ve all heard about soil types a
few weeks ago when Louise mentioned them, but why exactly do we have different
soil types and can we really change the profile in our lifetime?

Why do we need to bother so much
about soils?

Plants obtain most of their oxygen
and carbon from the air by photosynthesis; and hydrogen is obtained, directly
or indirectly, from the water in the soil. These three elements together make
up over 90 percent of fresh plant tissue. However, plants cannot survive
without the much smaller quantity of essential nutrients that they obtain from
the soil, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and
sulphur.

How do different soils come about? why do you have clay soil or sandy soil? Soil composition is made of the parent material, air and water.What happens if you have a type of soil that is luxurious loam with the right mix of water air and parent material?

Let’s find out what this is all
about.

PLAY:Drainage_9thMay_2014

The characteristics of soil play a big part in the plant's ability
to extract water and nutrients. If plants are to grow to their full potential,
the soil must provide a everything needed for plant growth.

The things that your soil is made from—your soil's
composition—affect all of these aspects of plant growth. Knowing what soils are
composed of will help you understand how soil affects plant growth.

PLANT OF THE WEEK: Pistacia chinensis - Chinese pistachio

Did you know that autumn colour is already in
the leaf and it’s covered by the green which is chlorophyll during the growing
season of the leaf. Do you live in an area where deciduous trees
give you great autumn colour?

Those turning leaves do give those brilliant,
reds, yellows and oranges that make for a standout landscape that artists and
photographers can’t resist.

Why not have a bit of this in your own
backyard.

Q.Do you know why leaves change colour?Leaves change colour because of
certain pigments in them and as the tree approaches dormancy in cooler weather,
the masking effect of the green part-or the chlorophyll starts to fade and the
real colours come through.

Carotenoid pigments give leaves a
more yellow or orange colour, glucose gives it more red as you might see in a
Maple leaf, and anthocyanins give leaves a more purple-red colour.

Pistacia chinensis - Chinese pistachio

Chinese pistachio is a small to medium deciduous
tree with a rounded head and upright branching.

In the cashew
family-Anacardiaceae, and is native to central and western China and Taiwan.

1 comment:

I have apple mint, peppermint, and the common mint (probably spearmint I'm guessing), as well as Vietnamese mint, which is one of my favourites to just throw on the top of Asian food. I used to have chocolate mint but sadly (and unbelievably for a mint) it died. Mints are fantastic :-)